Against the Tide () is a psychological thriller drama produced by MediaCorp Channel 8. This drama features different crime cases. Each case lasts 3-5 episodes and features a main character of the case. The drama began production in March 2014 and wrapped up its filming in May 2014. It was aired from 24 September 2014 to 24 October 2014 and has a total of 23 episodes.
Plot Acclaimed novelist Di Shen's mission is to expose evil in humans, as he believes that all humans are born depraved. While Di Shen is doing a television interview, a girl escapes her captivity in which she was tortured and abused. As police officers Zhou Jianfeng and Guo Jingcheng fail to obtain information from the girl, they ask for help from the psychiatrist Qiu Xueqing who, through hypnosis reveals that the assailant had a copy of Di Shen's novel. Xueqing asks the novelist to help solve the case believing that the culprit is an imitator of his novels, but for Jianfeng, Di shen is the main suspect.
Cast
Main cast Cast Role Description Episodes Appeared Christopher Lee 李铭顺 Di Shen 狄深 Younger version played by Zong Zijie Suspense Novelist Di Yao's elder brother Zhang Jingxuan's love interest Zhuo Dingkang, Zhang Jingxuan's old friend In love with Qiu Xueqin 1-23 Rui En 瑞恩 Qiu Xueqing 邱雪清 Dr. Snow, Snow White (白雪公主) Psychiatrist Qiu Gangzheng's daughter Qiu Gangyi's niece Di Shen's girlfriend Zhou Jianfeng's love interest 1-23 Desmond Tan 陈炯江 Zhou Jianfeng 周健锋 Assistant Superintendent Zhou Yongjun and Guo Yalan's eldest son In love with Qiu Xueqing Di Shen's rival in love Guo Jingcheng's best friend and superior Killed by Shadow Walker / Zhuo Dingkang (Deceased - Episode 23) 1–8, 11–16, 18-23Paige Chua 蔡琦慧 Zhang Jing Xuan 张静璇 Teenage version played by Alicia Lo Lawyer Zhuo Dingkang's love interest Qiu Xueqing's rival in love Di Shen, Zhuo Dingkang's old friend In love with Di Shen Killed by Scarlet and Qiu Xueqing (Deceased - Episode 22) 3, 6–10, 12–14, 17–20, 22Zhang Zhenhuan 张振寰 Zhuo Dingkang 卓定康 Forensic Pathologist In love with Zhang Jingxuan Di Shen's rival in love Di Shen, Zhang Jingxuan's old friend Xie Honglie's best friend Shadow Walker (Deceased - Episode 23) 6–10, 12–14, 17–20, 22-23 Carrie Wong 黄思恬 Di Yao 狄遥 Younger version played by Lorraine Koh Psychological Counselor Di Shen's younger sister Qiu Xueqing and Zhang Jingxuan's friend Liu Zebang's counselor and best friend Studies psychology in university Chen Lina's friend 1–18, 20-23 Scarlet Di Yao's split identity 14–17, 21-23Zheng Geping 郑各评 Qiu Gangyi 邱刚毅 Nails (铁钉) Private Detective Qiu Gangzheng's younger brother Qiu Xueqing's paternal uncle Often made Qiu Xueqing to go on a morning jog with him Detests Di Shen (Deceased - Episode 19) 1–4, 6–12, 14-19 Xu Bin 徐彬 Guo Jingcheng 郭精诚 Cartoon Police Detective Zhou Jianfeng's best friend and subordinate (Deceased - Episode 14) 1–8, 11-14Zhang Zhenxuan Shadow Walker Tortured Yang Zhenye (Episode 3), Zheng Tianrui (Episode 7–8) and Luo Jinzhu (Episode 11) Liu Zebang's accomplice Kidnapped Zheng Tianrui in the presence of Zhou Jianfeng in Episode 7 Aired a 'live' screening on an online video portal site, asking netizens to vote for Zheng Tianrui's ultimate fate in Episode 8 Gave Di Shen the anaesthetic and drove him to a deserted area by Di Shen's jeep in Episode 10 Appears again in the video portal site to give the police 24 hours to find Jacob's body in Episode 17 Revealed himself in Episode 20 Launched a live recording of the punishment of Hong Qiming in Episode 23 3–5, 7–8, 11, 17, 19, 22-23
Qiu (Xueqing) family Cast Character Description Episodes AppearedWang Yuqing Qiu Gangzheng 邱刚正 University Professor who teaches in the same university as Li Aiqin, Xie An Ni and Tina Loh Qiu Gangyi's elder brother Qiu Xueqing's father Chen Lina's professor and rumoured lover Tang Rongyao's professor Died from a heart attack when being kidnapped and interrogated by the 'Shadow Walker' organisation (Deceased - 7 years ago) 3, 8–11, 20
Police Headquarters Cast Character Description Episodes Appeared James Fong Anton Police detective working under Zhou Jianfeng 1–6, 8, 11–12, 14–16, 18-22 江熙祥 Julius Police detective working under Zhou Jianfeng 2–6, 8, 11–16, 20-22 Rio Chan 曾佳平 Ah Hu 阿虎 Police detective working under Zhou Jianfeng 1–6, 8, 11–17, 20-22 巫满文 Da Tou 大头 Police detective working under Zhou Jianfeng 16–17, 20
Zhou (Jianfeng) family Cast Character Description Episodes Appeared 秋文 Zhou Yongjun 周勇骏 Provision shop owner Guo Yalan's husband Zhou Jianfeng's father 21-23 Teo Ser Lee Guo Yalan 郭雅兰 Provision shop lady boss Zhou Yongjun's wife Zhou Jianfeng's mother 21-22
Serial Kidnapping incident (ep 1-3) Cast Role Description Episodes Appeared Allen Chen Yang Zhenye 杨振业 Jack J. Fighters Club shareholder Appears in Di Shen's book event in episode 1 Jennie's boyfriend A serial kidnapper and killer Murdered Agnes Lim Killed Jennie on her own request after getting tortured by kidnappers for failing to get a ransom 1-3 Tang Lingyi Agnes Lim Qiu Xueqing's patient Murdered by Yang Zhenye (Deceased - Episode 1) 1 Narelle Kheng 金甄旗 Jennie Yang Zhenye's girlfriend Killed by Yang Zhenye on her own request after getting tortured by kidnappers for failing to get a ransom 2-3 徐啸天 Tom J. Fighters Club shareholder 1, 3 Chen Ning Female Host 女主持人 Host of the television show 1 Louis Wu Tony Di Shen's loyal fan Appears in Di Shen's book event in episode 1 1
Tear Gas Bombing incident (ep 3-6) Cast Role Description Episodes Appeared Shane Pow Liu Zebang 刘泽邦 Mastermind of the 'Tear Gas Bombing' incidents Liu Xiaojing's elder brother Chemist at a laboratory Di Yao's patient and best friend Likes Di Yao 3-6 Bonnie Loo Liu Xiaojing 刘晓静 Liu Zebang's younger sister Hospitalized due to kidney disease 3-6 Chantalle Ng Judith Tan Chen Baisheng's daughter College student 4-5 Dylan Quek 郭景豪 Nicholas Goh Dr. Goh 5 Marcus Mok Chen Baisheng 陈百胜 Dr. Tan 5
Vampire Hunter (ep 6-8) Cast Role Description Episodes Appeared Yuan Shuai Zheng Tianrui 郑天瑞 Qiu Xueqing's patient 6-8 陈思燕 Zena Ng Zheng Tianrui's neighbour 7-8 Zakk Lim 林绍凯 Huang Zhiqiang 黄志强 Zena Ng's father; sexually abused her 7-8
Missing Girls Case (ep 9-11) Cast Role Description Episodes Appeared Hong Huifang Luo Jinzhu 罗金珠 Hostel Cleaner Luo Baoqiang's mother 9–11, 19 Zheng Rongming Tang Rongyao 唐荣耀 Qiu Gangzheng's student 9Jayley Woo Huang Liqi 黄莉琦 Studies in the same university as Li Aiqin, Xie An Ni and Tina Loh Li Aiqin's best friend Di Shen's fan 9-10 Ivan Tan 陈永文 Luo Baoqiang 罗宝强 Intellectually disabled Luo Jinzhu's son 10–11, 19 林楚璇 Li Aiqin 李爱琴 Studies in the same university as Xie An Ni, Tina Loh and Huang Liqi 9, 11 Shine Koh Chen Lina 陈丽娜 Qiu Gangzheng's student and rumoured lover Di Yao's secondary school friend 9-11 蔡龙 Wu Zhiguang 吴智光 A sexual pervert 10 Kwek Hock Choon 郭福春 Lina's father 丽娜父 Chen Lina's father 10
Hammering Assault incident (ep 11-14) Cast Role Description Episodes Appeared Cavin Soh Chen Zhifeng 陈志丰 Mastermind behind the Hammering Assault incidents 11-14 Tan Si Yan 陈思燕 Jolie 12-13 Tracer Wong 王裕香 Meiyun 美韵 Alicia Tan 陈欣如 Female Passerby 女路人 12-13
'Forest-Hunt' murder case (ep 15-19) Cast Role Description Episodes Appeared Aloysius Pang Zhao Keji 赵克已 Zhao Junlong's son Killed himself after jumping off the hospital's top floor (Deceased - Episode 21) 15-21 Brandon Wong Zhao Junlong 赵俊龙 Police Qiu Gangyi's colleague and friend Zhao Keji's father 15-19 王紫绮 Zhang Xiaoyang 张晓阳 Lin Guoliang's worker Ivy's mother 15 陈天赐 Gu De An 顾德安 One of Zhao Keji's past accomplice's uncle 15 郑瑞和 Wang Youren 王友仁 One of Zhao Keji's past accomplice's uncle 18-19
Confining Girls Incident (ep 15-17) Cast Role Description Episodes Appeared James Seah Jacob Thang Jimmy and Zen's friend In a love-hate relationship with Scarlet 15-18 林伟胜 Zen Jacob and Jimmy's pal 15-17 林祚纬 Jimmy Jacob and Zen's pal 15-17
New 'Shadow Walker' organisation (ep 18-20) 张华珉 Wu Zhiqun 吴智群 New Shadow Walker organisation's first target 19-20
Turning Evil (ep 20-23) Cast Role Description Episodes Appeared Tracer Wong Liao Meiyun 廖美韵 Di Shen and Di Yao's mother 6–7, 12–13, 20-21 Zhang Xinxiang He Hailiang 何海量 Owner and stock taker of a chain of convenience stores Shuzhen's husband He Meiting's father Zhou Jianfeng's family previous part-time driver 21-23 Welyn Ang Shuzhen 淑珍 He Hailiang's wife He Meiting's mother 21-22 Tan Mei Kee He Meiting 何美婷 He Hailiang and Shuzhen's daughter 21 Remus Teng 丁森炎 Hong Qiming 洪启明 23
Viewerships Against The Tide had an average of 937,000 views, becoming the 7th most watched drama series of 2014, following behind Three Wishes, C.L.I.F. 3, The Caregivers, Blessings, The Journey: Tumultuous Times, and World at Your Feet. Viewership in 2014 increased significantly, with the top-rated drama serial of 2013, C.L.I.F. 2, only having 901,000 viewers, and the top 10 drama serials having at least 930,000.
Trivia Christopher Lee's 2014 drama series after Game Plan. Carrie Wong's debut MediaCorp Channel 8 drama and first villainous and dual role, where she plays a villain due to mental illness. Rui En's first villainous role, where she plays a villain at the end of the drama. It is also the first time she will portray a psychiatrist. In the series, she also steps into the mind of the criminal concerned. Zhang Zhenhuan's first villainous role. Paige Chua's first villainous role. Aloysius Pang's first villainous role, where he played a villain due to mental illness. This will be the first series to have five of the "8 Dukes of Caldecott Hill" appear. Snippets of the next episode were shown during the ending credits of each episode, but in rewind motion. Ian Fang was reportedly offered a role in the series, but turned it down so that he could take a break. The series was mentioned twice by Dennis Chew in 118. In episode 92, he mentioned that the characters in the series killed people using knives, while in episode 201, he mentioned Rui En could not be differentiated between a good woman and a bad woman.
Awards and nominations Star Awards 2015 Against The Tide has the second most number of nominations for Star Awards 2015 behind The Journey: Tumultuous Times with 16 nominations in 13 awards, winning 3 of them - Best Programme Promo, Best Director and Best Cameraman.
Star Awards – Acting Awards Nominees Accolades Category Result 《黑翼心灵》 by Lin Si Tong Star Awards Best Theme Song Kee Chee Wee Best Programme Promo Loh Woon Woon Best Director Phang Kai Yee Best Screenplay Ang Soon Bee Best Cameraman for Drama Programme Gao Jun Wei and Yong Chin Liang Best Music and Sound Design Xu Bin Favourite Male Character Rui En Favourite Female Character Aloysius Pang Rocket Award Paige Chua Christopher Lee Star Awards Best Actor Rui En Best Actress Aloysius Pang Best Supporting Actor Zhang Zhen Huan Paige Chua Best Supporting Actress Paige Chua Tokyo Bust Express Sexy Babe Award Best Drama Serial
See also List of Against The Tide episodes List of MediaCorp Channel 8 Chinese drama series (2010s)
References